Political bickering over a border wall is weighing a heavy burden on the nation’s already backlogged immigration courts — delaying some cases until 2023.

Hundreds of cases meant to be heard at the Jacob Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan have already been delayed because of the government shutdown in Washington, adding an unneeded strain on the already congested court, Amiena Khan, an immigration judge who serves as vice president at the National Association of Immigration Judges, told the Daily News.

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Amiena Khan, an immigration judge who serves as vice president at the National Association of Immigration Judges. (Obtained by the New York Daily News)

“You’re talking about an almost five-year delay before your matter is heard. So that old adage that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ could never be more true,” Khan added.

Immigration courts across the country, which operate under the umbrella of the Department of Justice, continue to handle cases for detained migrants during the shutdown, meaning judges, DOJ attorneys and court officers are working without pay.

But asylum claims and other scheduled matters that make up the majority of the court docket are being “reset” to for future dates, being sent to the back of the line and adding to a national backlog that has surpassed one million cases. In Manhattan alone, the number of cases piling up is nearing 90,000, Khan said.

“We have people who are seeking asylum, who are seeking the protection of the United States whose family members are still in their home countries and are at risk,” Khan said. “Their cases are going to be delayed.”

The usually-bustling 14th floor of the Javits building, which houses the immigration court, was eerily empty Friday apart from a pair of security guards.

Immigration attorney Alan Pollack said even the simplest of matters are turning into massive headaches for his clients.

One man, a Central American applying for asylum, could soon find himself in legal limbo when all he needed to do was schedule a brief court appearance.

“He just needs to present the case and get an individual hearing, because of the already backlogged court calendar that could have meant months down the road,” Pollack said. “It may add another year or more now.”

Another client, a young woman from an African nation, is in the process of applying for a U.S. green card. Her court date was indefinitely postponed last week.

“She’s eligible through her husband,” Pollack said, noting that the young woman is the mother of a two-year-old American-born child.

“It’s frustrating,” the attorney added. “There can be no action on motions or other matters where there are supposed to be deadlines for certain things for the court. It’s just a big mess.”

Trump on Friday indicated he could keep parts of the government closed for “months or even years” if Democrats don’t approve funds for his long-desired wall.

Such a prospect could wreak havoc on the Manhattan immigration courts run by only 38 judges.

“I have to echo my colleagues who have noted the irony in shutting down the immigration courts over immigration,” Khan said.

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Migrants attempt to cross over the border fences to United States at Playa de Tijuana in Mexico on Dec. 1. (Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)

A Department of Justice employee working at the Varick St. building where detainee hearings are still being held told The News that the impasse over Trump’s wall is taking a toll on federal employees.

“There are agents who are living in their cars, agents who are homeless.” said the worker, who didn’t want to be identified. “Guys are sleeping on their friends’ couches.”

Jeffrey Fry, 62, who works for the Army Corps of Engineers on civil works projects said he is still getting paid because the budget for his department was passed for the year and went into effect in October.

His wife, however, is on furlough.

“We’ve been through three of them already,” he noted.

Fry said the couple would love to see the shutdown come to an end as soon as possible, but they aren’t holding out hope.

“It’s kind of like fatalism: There isn’t anything we can do about it,” he said. “We have no union. Congress and the President are our bosses.”